Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698941690944.pdf (South Africa)
Friday, 13 November 2020] No 166—2020] SECOND SESSION, SIXTH PARLIAMENT PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA _____________________ ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS _____________________ FRIDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2020 _____________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS National Assembly 1.

2.
2.

Request to fill vacancy in South African Human Rights Commission ............................ 2 Referral to Committees of papers tabled .......................................................................... 2 TABLINGS National Assembly and National Council of Provinces 1.

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies .................................................. 3 2.

Minister of Defence and Military Veterans ...................................................................... 4 3.
Minister of Finance ........................................................................................................... 4 4.

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services .................................................................. 4 National Assembly 1.

Speaker ............................................................................................................................. 4 1 COMMITTEE REPORTS National Assembly 1.
Basic Education ................................................................................................................ 6 ANNOUNCEMENTS National Assembly The Speaker 1.
Request to fill vacancy in South African Human Rights Commission (1) A letter, dated 28 October 2020 has been received from the Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission, requesting the National Assembly to initiate a process to fill a vacancy which arose after the passing away of Deputy Chairperson Priscilla Jana, submitted in terms of section 8 (3) (a) of the South African Human Rights Commission Act, 2013 (Act No 40 of 2013).
Referred to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services for consideration and report.

2.

Referral to Committees of papers tabled (1) The following papers are referred to the Portfolio Committee on Communications for consideration and report: (a) Revised Strategic/Corporate Plan for 2020-21 – 2024-25 and Annual Performance Plan of the Film and Publication Board for 2020-21.

(b) Annual Performance Plan of the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA) for 2020-21.
(2) The following papers are referred to the Standing Committee on Finance for consideration and report.

Reports of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information are referred to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts for consideration: (a) Report and Financial Statements of the Government Pensions Administration Agency for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.
(b) Annual Financial Statements of the Public Investment Corporation (SOC) Limited for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.

2 (c) Integrated Annual Report of the Public Investment Corporation (SOC) Limited for 2019-20.

(d) Report and Financial Statements of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.
(3) The following papers are referred to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services: (a) Proclamation No R. 32, published in Government Gazette No 43885, dated 06 November 2020: Referral of matters to existing Special Investigating Unit and Special Tribunal: In respect of the affairs of the National Lotteries Commission, previously known as the National Lotteries Board, in terms of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, 1996 (Act No 74 of 1996).
(4) The following papers are referred to the Portfolio Committee on Police for consideration and report.

Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information is referred to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts for consideration: (a) Report and Financial Statements of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.
TABLINGS National Assembly and National Council of Provinces 1.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies (a) Annual Financial Statements of the State Information Technology Agency SOC Limited for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.

(b) Annual Report of the State Information Technology Agency SOC Limited for 2019-20.
(c) Report and Financial Statements of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) Limited (SABC) for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.

3 2.

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans (a) Report and Financial Statements of Vote 19 – Department of Military Veterans for 2018-19, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information of Vote 19 for 2018-19.
(b) Report and Financial Statements of Vote 19 – Department of Defence for 2018-19, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information of Vote 19 for 2018-19.

(c) Report and Financial Statements of the Castle Control Board for 2018-19, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2018-19.

3.
3.

The Minister of Finance (a) Report and Financial Statements of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.

(b) Report and Financial Statements of the Co-operative Banks Development Agency for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.
(c) Report and Financial Statements of the Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2019-20.

4.

The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services (a) Report on Activities of the South African Law Reform Commission for 2019-20.

National Assembly 1.


The Speaker (a) Report and Financial Statements of Vote 10 – Public Service Commission (PSC) for 2019-20, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information of Vote 10 for 2019-20.

(b) Letter from the Minister of Home Affairs dated 11 November 2020, to the Speaker of the National Assembly explaining the reasons for the delay in the submission of the Annual Reports of the Government Printing Works (GPW) for the 2019/20 financial year.
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT ON THE TABLING OF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING WORKS (GPW) ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2019/20 This letter seeks to request approval from the Speaker of the National Assembly regarding the postponement of GPW’s tabling of its Annual Report 2019/20.

4 The reason for the delayed annual report was due to the fact that Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) still had to finalise its audit on GPW’s financials.
The adjusted financial statements and the Audit Committee’s report should form part of the approved Annual Report, hence the delayed submission.

I request the Honourable Speaker to grant approval regarding the postponement of the tabling of GPW’s Annual Report 2019/20 from the 16th November 2020 to no later than the 11th December 2020.

DR P A MOTSOALEDI, MP MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS DATE: 11/11/2020 COMMITTEE REPORTS National Assembly 5 1.
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education concerning the Petition from Mrs B Matebe regarding the Education Inequality Dual Medium Schools in the Namakwa Region of the Northern Cape, referred to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education by the Speaker of the National Assembly for consideration, date 13 November 2020 The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, having considered the Petition from Mrs B Matebe regarding the Education Inequality Dual Medium Schools in the Namakwa Region in the Northern Cape, referred to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education by the Speaker of the National Assembly for consideration, reports as follows: On Friday, 6 November 2020, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education convened a meeting to consider the Petition from Mrs B Matebe regarding Education Inequality Dual Medium Schools in the Namakwa Region in the Northern Cape.
The Portfolio Committee initiated the meeting to receive a briefing and engage on the Petition by the following stakeholders: • Mrs B Matebe (Petitioner); • Northern Cape Department of Education; and • Department of Basic Education (DBE).

1.

Submission from Mrs B Matebe The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, received a Petition from Mrs B Matebe which was referred to the Portfolio Committee by the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly for consideration and report.
The submission tabled by Mrs Matebe included the following: • Petition to the Speaker of the National Assembly regarding Education Inequality Dual Medium Schools in Namakwa Region; • Correspondence with Springbok Primary School regarding English as a Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT); • Various emails between the petitioner and the Northern Cape Department of Education; • A list of parents and learners affected by the absence of English Medium Public Schools; and • Correspondence from the National Department of Basic Education.
1 6 Mrs Matebe in her address to the Committees gave a broad overview of her Petition by initially indicating that the Afrikaans Education system in the Namakwa Region of the Northern Cape was still oppressing, depressing and limiting black children’s capability of getting good quality education, and further it was failing the children.

All 74 public schools were Afrikaans medium and black children were forced to attend a private school that was not affordable.
She was calling for interventions from the Northern Cape Provincial Education Department to ensure there was transformation in the district as black learners were being forced to be taught in Afrikaans.

For most black learners, English was their preferred language of learning and would rather have English as first language and Afrikaans as a second language – and Mrs Matebe was petitioning for English classes and dual medium schools to be implemented.
Mrs Matebe also requested that the Department was clear on language and admission policies as parents of black learners were communicated with in Afrikaans which was not their first language.

This caused parents to feel uninformed and not updated on activities of the school, in particular curriculum issues, helping their kids at home and school information related Covid- 19.
She was of the view that admissions to public schools should be free, fair and uncomplicated – and parents should be informed in writing with regards to reasons for learners not being admitted.

Mrs Matebe detailed her engagements with the School Management at Springbok Primary, officials in the District, Northern Cape Provincial Department, the Office of the MEC as well as the National Department of Basic Education – with no success of positive outcome.
She also mentioned that the idea of supplying affected learners with English textbooks was her idea so that she was able to tutor her children at home.

Part of the issues raised by Mrs Matebe alluded to bullying, ill treatment and racist tendencies that was metered on her children at the school, however she noted that the Department claimed they had not received any credible evidence of racism and bullying from Mrs Matebe in their investigations.
However, Mrs Matebe indicated that no official from the Department had ever interviewed her or her children – and she could not understand how they could come to their conclusions.

2 7 2.

Input by Department of Basic Education (DBE) – Mr H M Mweli Mr Mweli indicated his sympathy for the plight of the Petitioner and gave an overview of Section 29 of the Constitution which covered the provision of basic education - and the practicability of this provision.
He also noted the difficulty in respect of the predominance of the Afrikaans community in the region – and how the NCDOE would be able to accommodate learners from other language backgrounds other than Afrikaans.

He undertook to work with the NCDOE to find solutions to the impasse and ensure that the learners affected could be accommodated in some way.

3.
3.

Input by the Northern Cape Department of Education (NCDOE) – Mr S Beuzana The MEC for Education, Mr Monakali also indicated that he agreed with the sentiments of the Director- General on the matter.

The NCDOE was dealing with the matter and trying to find solutions – not forgetting the dynamics of the area concerned whereby a large majority of the community predominantly spoke Afrikaans.

Mr Monakali then handed over to the Acting Head of Department, Mr S Beuzana to brief the Committees.
In response to the petition by Mrs B Matebe, Mr Beuzana provided the background and an update on the progress made with regard to the request for Dual Medium Classes in the Namakwa Education Districts.

Mr Beuzana also alluded to the Norms and Standards for school language policy and gave the following background to the matter: • A survey in 2019 reflected that 55 parents expressed interest in English medium classes across three schools in the Namakwa District.
This included parents outside the Province that indicated they would relocate to the Namakwa District.

• The 55 learners seeking English medium of instruction was too low and impracticable to implement at this stage.

• In 2020 only 29 English medium parents across all grades actually registered in the Namakwa District.
In order to meet the needs of these learners’, district officials consulted with School Governing Bodies and affected teachers to assist these learners with code switching at the respective schools.

• The Department procured English textbooks for the learners across the various subjects.

This strategy was proposed for the interim until the Department could fully implement English parallel medium classes in the district once numbers justify it.
3 8 • The District engaged the school in February 2020 to revise their Language and Admission policies to accommodate English speaking parents in all forms of communication as well as during parent meetings.

• The school was directed to immediately do away with a waiting list and feeder zones for learner admissions.

• The Circuit Manager investigated all allegations of discrimination and bullying of the child but could not find substantive evidence.
The parent (complainant) chose Springbok Primary school because in her own words it was the school which performs the best, the teachers were the best qualified and for the positive teaching and learning environment.

• The SGB asked the complainant to provide proof of all allegations of discrimination, bullying and ill treatment of her child but till today she could not table any concrete evidence.
Further to this, Mr Beuzana gave a detailed overview of the home language offerings in the Namakwa District, cluster primary schools as well as specific schools.

The Department also offered information on Springbok Primary School 2020 Home Language statistics.

In respect of the procurement of English textbooks, Mr Beuzana gave further information on the background as well as an update on order and delivery of textbooks.
Regarding the October 2020 learner report cards, Mr Beuzana indicated that report cards for the October 2020 examinations in the Province would only be issued by 6 November 2020 due to the technical problems experienced with the SA-SAMS system.

In conclusion, Mr Beuzana mentioned that the Department acknowledged the requests for the implementation of English medium classes in the Namakwa District.
The low enrollment numbers of English medium learners across various grades in the Namakwa District suggested that multi-grade English medium classes could not be implemented.

The number of parents seeking English medium of instruction in the Namakwa District was too low and impracticable to implement at this stage.

4.
4.

Conclusion The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, having considered the Petition from Mrs B Matebe regarding Education Inequality Dual Medium Schools in the Namakwa Region of the Northern Cape, 4 9 referred to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education by the Speaker of the National Assembly for consideration, recommends that: 4.1 The National Department, in collaboration with the NCDOE ensures that measures were put in place to accommodate the affected learners as a matter of urgency.
4.2 The NCDOE considered recruitment of English teachers at the affected schools.

4.3 The NCDOE looked to implement dual/bilingual classes in the interim as well as possible alternate modes/methods of teaching and learning for affected learners.

4.4 The NCDOE ensured that issues of transformation were addressed.

The Portfolio Committee further resolved that it received regular updates on progress in respect of the above recommendations.

Report to be considered.

5 10